METHOD FOR PRODUCING A COMPOSITE PART

Abstract

A method for producing a composite part. According to the method, a substrate is provided, the substrate having an integrated mixing portion for mixing a component system close to the substrate. The substrate provided is introduced into a cavity of a coating tool in an additional step. The substrate is then coated by flooding the cavity with the component system. The component system is mixed inside the cavity by means of the mixing portion of the substrate.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. A method for the production of a composite part (17), in which a substrate (12) is coated with a component system (15), wherein the method has the following steps: providing (S1) a substrate (12), with a moulded part portion (14) remaining in the composite part (17) which is to be produced and with an integrated mixing portion (13), to be separated from the composite part (17) which is to be produced, for the mixing of the component system (15) close to the substrate; introducing (S2) the substrate (12) into a cavity (8) of a coating tool (6); coating (S3) the substrate (12) by flooding the cavity (8) with the component system (15), wherein the component system (15) is mixed by the mixing portion (13) of the substrate (12) in the cavity (8) before it reaches the moulded part portion (14).

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the substrate (12) is provided with a mixing portion (13), which has several flow-influencing elements (16) comprising projections and/or depressions.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the substrate (12) is provided furthermore with a run-out region (19) for calming the component system (15), which run-out region is provided after the mixing portion (13) in the flow direction.

18. The method according to one of claim 15, wherein the moulded part portion (14) of the provided substrate (12) is arranged for carrying a semi-finished product which is to be coated, or already carries one such.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the semi-finished product which is to be coated has a real wood veneer, a fibre-reinforced semi-finished product or a textile semi-finished product.

20. The method according to one of claim 15, wherein the providing of the substrate (12) comprises a producing of the substrate (12) by injection moulding of a thermoplastic material.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the coating of the substrate (12) and the production of the substrate (12) takes place in the same machine (1).

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the coating of a produced substrate (12) takes place simultaneously with the producing of a further substrate (12a).

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein for the production of the substrate (12, 12a) a moulding tool (6) with two mould halves (61, 62) is used for the formation of a cavity (9), which has a moulded part region (91) for the formation of the moulded part portion (14) and a mixing region (92) for the formation of the mixing portion (13).

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the substrate (12) is transferred by shifting the cavity from the moulding tool (6) into the coating tool (5).

25. The method according to one of claim 15, furthermore with the step (S4), demoulding of the coated substrate (12) from the moulding tool (6) and separating of the mixing portion (13).

26. The method according to one of claim 15, wherein as component system (15) at least two liquid components are fed, in a substantially unmixed manner, so that a mixing of the component system (15) takes place in the cavity (8).

27. The method according to one of claim 15, wherein as component system (15) at least two liquid components are fed in a pre-mixed manner, so that a post-mixing of the component system (15) takes place in the cavity (8).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a substrate, as it is used in the method according to the invention.

[0033] FIGS. 2 to 4 show a tool for the production of a composite part using the substrate shown in FIG. 1 in various operating states.

[0034] FIG. 5 shows an enlarged illustration of a mixing portion of the substrate shown in FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 6 shows the substrate, shown in FIG. 1, in coated state.

[0036] FIG. 7 shows a finished composite part.

[0037] FIG. 8 shows method steps of the method according to the invention for the production of a composite part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT

[0038] An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the figures. The same reference numbers in the figures characterize identical or similar elements.

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a substrate 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention. More precisely, FIG. 1 shows a sectional view.

[0040] The substrate 12 has a moulded part portion 14 and a mixing portion 13. Although this is not illustrated in FIG. 1, the substrate 12 is a laminar component, in which both the moulded part portion 14 and also the mixing portion 13 extend perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing. The substrate can, however, also be a contoured to three-dimensional component. In the embodiment, the mixing portion 13 has a smaller width than the moulded part portion 14, can, however, also have the same width or a greater width than the moulding portion 14. As is indicated in FIG. 1, the moulded part portion 14 has an area 14a which in the course of the processing of the substrate 12 is to be provided with a layer of a component system. In order to ensure an adhesion between the duroplastic material and the substrate 12 in the region of the moulded part portion 14, the area 14a can be subjected, in advance, to a corresponding surface treatment.

[0041] The mixing portion 13 of the substrate 12 has flow-influencing elements 16. In FIG. 1 six of these flow-influencing elements 16 can be seen. In the embodiment which is shown, the flow-influencing elements 16 are formed by way of example as cylindrical projections, all of which have the same height. The flow-influencing elements 16 extend substantially perpendicularly to a main extent direction of the substrate 12, in particular at right angles to a plate-like base portion 13a. According to a corresponding design, the main extent direction can correspond for example to the longitudinal direction of the substrate.

[0042] The configuration of the flow-influencing elements 16 can also be seen from FIG. 5, which shows a front view of the mixing portion 13 of the substrate 12, therefore a view from the left onto the substrate 12 shown in FIG. 1. However, the substrate 12 in FIG. 5 is inserted into a coating tool 5, which is described later in further detail. As is already indicated in FIG. 5, the flow-influencing elements 16 serve for the mixing of a component system 15. The mixing portion 13 acts here as a static mixer for the mixing of liquid components of the component system 15.

[0043] For coating the substrate 12, a machine 1 can be used, as it illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4. The machine 1 has a clamping unit 20, an injection unit 11, a feeding device 7 for feeding the component system 15, and a tool received in the clamping unit. In the embodiment which is shown, the tool has a coating tool 5 and a moulding tool 6 for the production of the substrate. The machine 1 is accordingly formed for the production of the substrate 12.

[0044] The coating tool 5 has two mould halves 51, 52 for the formation of a cavity 8. The cavity 8 has a moulded part region 81 and a mixing region 82. A first mould half 51 of the coating tool 5 is fastened to a movable platen 3 of the clamping unit 20. A second mould half 52 of the coating tool 5 is fastened on one side of a turning plate 4 of the clamping unit 20.

[0045] The moulding tool 6 has two mould halves 61, 62 for the formation of a cavity 9. The cavity 9 has a moulded part region 91 and a mixing region 92. The mixing region 92 serves for the formation of the mixing portion 13 of the substrate 12. A first mould half 61 of the moulding tool 6 is fastened to a fixed platen 2 of the clamping unit 20. A second mould half 62 of the moulding tool 6 is fastened on the opposite side of the turning plate 4.

[0046] The coating tool 5 has, furthermore, a gating system 10 for the feeding of a component system 15 to the cavity 8. As is shown in FIG. 2, the gating system 10 consists substantially of a channel or respectively a flow channel, via which the component system 15 can be fed from a feeding device 7 into the cavity 8. In the embodiment which is shown, the channel or respectively the gating system 10 is provided on the upper side of the coating tool 5. The feeding device 7 is able to be fluidically connected with the gating system 10, and the gating system 10 opens into the cavity 8 via a gate, which is not illustrated.

[0047] The cavity 8 is formed in an enlarged manner compared to the cavity 9. The cavity 8 consists of a mixing region 82 and a moulded part region 81. The mixing region 82 is formed for receiving the mixing portion 13 of the substrate 12. FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of the mixing portion 13, which is inserted into the mould half 52 of the coating tool 5.

[0048] The cavity 8 has, furthermore, a moulded part region 81, which is arranged to receive the moulded part portion 14 of the substrate 12. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the cavity 8 is formed so that an introduced component system 15 firstly must flow through the mixing region 82 of the cavity 8, in order to arrive into the moulded part region 81 of the cavity 8. As the mixing portion 13, described above, is arranged in the mixing region 82 of the cavity 8, the component system 15 flows between the flow-influencing elements 16, as is indicated in FIG. 5. In this way, the component system 15 is mixed. The component system 15 can be fed in the form of substantially unmixed liquid components. If this is the case, the liquid components of the component system 15 are only mixed by the mixing portion 13. The mixture which has thus resulted then arrives into the moulded part region 81, in which the moulded part portion 14 of the substrate 12 is situated. The area 14a of the moulded part portion 14 is flooded in this way with the mixed component system 15. After a corresponding curing of the component system 15 on the substrate 12, the composite part which has thus resulted can be demoulded from the coating tool 5.

[0049] The production of a composite component 17 is described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows an operating state of the machine 1 for carrying out the method according to the invention. More precisely, a state after a first shot is illustrated. During the first shot, the cavity 9 of the moulding tool 6, therefore of the injection moulding tool, has been filled by means of the injection unit 11 in a known manner with an injection-mouldable plastic material. In this way, the substrate 12 was formed in the form of an injection-moulded blank. No action took place in the cavity 8 of the coating tool 5, for which reason it is empty in the operating state which is shown.

[0051] After the first shot, therefore after the production of the substrate 12, the coating tool 5 and the moulding tool 6 are opened. Here, the substrate 12 remains on the moulding tool half 62, which is associated with the turning plate 4. The turning plate 4 is then rotated through 180°, so that the moulding tool half 62, which carries the substrate 12, is arranged opposite the moulding tool half 51. Together with the moulding tool half 62, the moulding tool half 52, provided on the opposite side of the turning plate 4, is also moved. In this way, the moulding tool half 52 is arranged opposite the moulding tool half 61. The moulding tool halves 52 and 61 now form the moulding tool 6, and the moulding tool halves 51 and 62 form the coating tool 5. This operating state is shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, instead of a system with a turning plate, for example also a system with a sliding table can be used, in order to shift the moulding tool halves.

[0052] The moulding tool 6 now has in turn a cavity 9 for the injection moulding of a further injection-moulded blank or respectively substrate 12a. The substrate 12, produced previously or respectively with the preceding shot, is situated in the cavity 8 of the coating tool 5. With this positioning of the moulding tool halves, the coating tool 5 and the moulding tool 6 are closed. After the closing process, simultaneously the further substrate 12a in the moulding tool 6 is injected and the previously produced substrate 12 in the coating tool 5 is provided with the component system 15, which for example is a lacquer coating or a duroplast coating, e.g. a PUR- or PUA coating. This operating state is shown in FIG. 4.

[0053] The substrate 12 is arranged in the cavity 8 so that the mixing portion 13 is arranged in the mixing region 82 of the cavity 8, and the moulded part portion 14 is arranged in the moulded part region 81 of the cavity 8. In the embodiment which is shown, the mixing portion 13 or respectively the flow-influencing elements provided therein are arranged so that these project substantially up to an inner wall of the coating tool 5, so that a flowing through of the mixing region 82 of the cavity 8 is only possible when the component system 15 flows through between the flow-influencing elements 16.

[0054] As already set forth above, the coating tool 5 has the gating system 10, through which the component system 15 or respectively its liquid components are fed to the cavity 8, more precisely to the mixing region 82. The component system 15, introduced via the gating system 10, therefore flows over the mixing region 82 of the cavity 8 to the moulded part region 81 of the cavity 8. Here, the component system 15 or respectively its liquid components flow through the mixing portion 13 of the substrate 12, more precisely between the flow-influencing elements 16, whereby the component system 15 or respectively its liquid components are mixed.

[0055] The mixing portion 13 acts in the cavity 8 as a static mixer or respectively a static mixing device. In the flow course through the mixing region 82, the material stream which is introduced via the gating system 10, or respectively the component system 15 which is introduced, is divided into several partial streams and at the end of the mixing region is directed together again to one stream. The mixed component system 15 then flows into the moulded part region 81 of the cavity 8, in which the moulded part portion 14 of the substrate is situated. The area 14a of the substrate 12, facing the interior of the cavity 8, is flowed over in this way with the mixed component system 15. After a completed entire flooding of the cavity 8 with the component system 15, an at least partial curing of the component system 15 takes place. The coating process is thereby completed.

[0056] After the injection moulding of the further substrate 12a in the cavity 9, and the completed coating of the substrate 12 in the cavity 8, the coating tool 5 and the moulding tool 6 are opened. The substrate 12, coated with the component system 15, is demoulded from the coating tool. The intermediate product which has thus resulted is shown in FIG. 6. The substrate 12a, produced in the cavity 9, is subsequently provided with a coating in a further cycle step in the cavity 8 in the manner described above.

[0057] The intermediate product shown in FIG. 6 consists of the substrate 12 and a layer of the cured component system 15. In a post-processing step, the mixing portion 13 of the substrate together with component system 15 situated thereon is separated from the moulded part portion 14 together with the component system 15 situated thereon, as is illustrated by a dashed line in FIG. 6. In this way, the desired composite part 17 is obtained, as is illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0058] The substrate 12 can be an injection-moulded blank, as was described above. A modification of the machine 1 described above can have exclusively a coating tool and therefore no moulding tool for the production of the substrate. The substrate can be produced with a separate machine and at a different location. Into the machine according to the modification, the substrate can then be inserted into the coating tool in an automated manner, for example by means of a gripper or a robot arm. The component system can be a multi-component cross-linking coating system, e.g. a lacquer system or a duroplast coating. Duroplast materials can be, for example, PUR- or PUA materials.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0059] 1 machine [0060] 5 coating tool [0061] 6 moulding tool [0062] 7 feeding device [0063] 8 cavity [0064] 10 gating system [0065] 11 injection unit [0066] 12 substrate [0067] 13 mixing portion [0068] 13a base portion [0069] 14 moulded part portion [0070] 15 duroplastic material [0071] 16 flow-influencing elements [0072] 17 composite part [0073] 19 run-out region [0074] 20 clamping unit [0075] 51, 52 mould halves [0076] 61, 62 mould halves [0077] 81 moulded part region [0078] 82 mixing region [0079] 91 moulded part region [0080] 92 mixing region [0081] S1 providing [0082] S2 placing [0083] S3 coating [0084] S4 demoulding